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bulerías class

What's a Cuplé? (Part 1) | The Weekly Letra

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What's a Cuplé? (Part 1) | The Weekly Letra

In the first installment of the flamenco cuplé series I'll explain what a cuplé is and show you a video example. But let's begin by looking at this one that Ani sang one day during bulerías class on the Flamenco Tour to Jerez. It was so pretty, so I asked her to tell me the words:

¿Quién se ha llevao mi amor?
¿Quién me ha dejao sin nada?
¿Quién se ha llevao todo el sol
que entraba por mi ventana?

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Three Things to Remember When Dancing Bulerías

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Three Things to Remember When Dancing Bulerías

I have some more bulerías advice from Ani for you about feeling good today. But first,

Let's talk briefly about steps

Because you learn a lot of steps in in bulerías class.

You could say they are just steps.

To play with.

To practice.

To try out.

To hold on to. (Or to let go of.)

They can even be thought of as tools for understanding how the conversation works.

But going back to the liking them thing...

One day in Jerez

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I told them it terrified me, but still they wanted to go

Another story from Jerez...

Somehow I convinced everyone to go to bulerías class with me

I told them how it terrified me.  I told them I was terrorized by it.  But they still wanted to go.

I took them there even before our first class with Mercedes.

I needed for them to see it.  I was hoping they would want to take it too.  I was worried they might think it was too much on top everything else.

Physically it is not demanding.  So, that would be no issue.

But mentally, well...

I had told them about it the night before

They were ready for certain things.

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Viernes con una Letra | still in Jerez

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Viernes con una Letra | still in Jerez

Today was the last bulerias class for everyone on the Spain Tour, my exotic pets.

And tomorrow is the final class with Mercedes.

Then on Sunday everyone leaves.  I am feeling pretty sad about that.  Thank goodness Katie is staying...

But back to bulerías class.

Today was a celebratory day.  Just about everyone got cerveza.  Yes, beer.  When Ani is in a good mood and really likes what you do she gives you beer.  I didn't get any beer.  

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Transitions

So my biggest issue with bulerías when I got to Jerez was the transitions.  Well, ok, that’s not really true, my biggest issue after fear.   But about the transitions, it was like all of a sudden I couldn’t see them. And I didn’t know what to do.

It was my first time in Ana María López’s class after dancing by myself in front of EVERYONE, which is what you have to do EVERY day there and actually NUMEROUS times every day.

And you can’t hide.

You can’t escape by leaving the room because someone calls you, even if you’re outside practicing or just trying to escape all of the smoke.  - Yes, smoking.  Lots of smoking goes on in class, from start to finish - And if you try to pretend you didn’t hear that you were called and still don’t come in, someone comes to get you.

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